Wrapper tucking mechanism



Sqn.A 29, 1953 R. E. TAGGART WRAPPER TUCKING MECHANISM Filed sept. a,i951 2 Sheets-Sheet l nnulmllnv llllllll-lllllllll Sept. 29, 1953 R. E.TAGGART WRAPPER TUCKING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 8, l1951Patented Sept. 29, 1953 WRAPPER TUCKING MECHANISM Robert E. Taggart,Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Application September 8, 1951, Serial No. 245,675

6 Claims. l

This invention relates to a wrapper tucking mechanism particularlyadapted for use in connection with a machine for wrapping paper of thetype shown in the Stevens Patent No. 2,292,- 487, issued August 11,1942, and as further disclosed in the copending application of Doepeland Wiley, Serial No. 103,875, filed July 9, 1949.

One object of the present invention is to provide Wrapper tuckingmechanism having an improved and simplified means for adjusting tuckingelements relative to each other for larger or smaller packages asdesired.

Another object is to provide scale and pointer means for indicating thesize of the package so that once the size is known the wrapper tuckingmechanism can be quickly adjusted to that size.

Still another object is to provide tucking elements which are pivotallymounted and which are biased to a maximumpivoting limit so that thattucking elements can readily tuck in the ends of a wrapper on a packageof paper or other article being wrapped.

A further object is to provide tucking elements including rollers forengaging the wrapper to accomplish the tucking in operation so as tomini-V mize friction of the tucking elements against the Wrapper andprovide for an eflcient tucking in of the wrapper ends by the tuckingelements. These rollers are particularly needed when Wrapping relativelylarge packages which require relatively thick wrapping paper and theflaps after being folded by the tuckers tend to spring back or unfold.

Still a further object is to provide the rollers of tapered constructionwith their large ends adjacent the ends of the package so as to creasethe wrapping paper and iron out the tucked-in flaps of the wrapper, andwith their small ends projecting away from the package to permit rollingof the tucked ends of the wrapper properly into position withoutinterfering with the tucking action on the wrapper,

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mywrapper tucking mechanism, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawngs,'wherein:

Figure 1 is an end view of a package with my improved Wrapper tuckingmechanism illustrated by solid lines in position for starting thetucking operation.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 showing the tucking elements attheir final position in the tucking operation.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1showing the tucking elements in the position of Figure 2 (with thetucking operation completed).

Figure 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical detail sectional View on the line G-of Figure 1;and

Figure 7 is a perspective View showing the coaction of tucking rollersof my invention with the ends aps of a wrapper during the tucking-inoperation thereof.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral I5 toindicate a supporting plate or surface of the packaging machine for anarticle I6 such as sheets of paper, a book or the like to be packaged ina wrapper I1. A top plate 68 opposes the plate I5. At previous-stationsin the machine, the wrapper has been Wrapped around four surfaces of thearticle I6 and it remains for the end portions I 'Ia of the wrapper tobe tucked in as in Figures 2 and 7 which would leave upper and lowerflaps I'Ib and IIc. These flaps are subsequently bent downwardly andupward respectively at further stations of the ma'- chine and glued inposition for completing the wrapping of the article I6.

The packaging machines shown in the Stevens patent and in the Doepel andWiley application include supporting bars I8 and I9 for four sets oftucking elements, two of which are shown in Figures 1 and 2. The othertwo are at the opposite ends of the package, the center line of thepackage being substantially coincident with a piston rod 2U extendingfrom a cylinder 2|, one of which is provided for each of the supportingbars I8 and I9 to move them from the position shown in Figure 1 to theposition shown in Figure 2 to accomplish the tucking operations on thenaps IIa.

Each tucking unit comprises a support 22 which as shown in Figure 6 issubstantially a rectangular frame provided with Vertical guide ribs 23.At the top of the support 22 is a stationary bearing 24 provided withbearing sleeves 25. A pivot bolt 26 is oscillatably mounted in thebearings 25 and supports an upper arm 21. A roller shaft 28 is supportedby the upper arm ,21 and an upper tucking roller 29 is rotatablethereon. The roller 29, it will be noted, is tapered, being largest atthe end adjacent the article I6 as shown in Figure 2 and the purpose ofthis will hereinafter appear.

A second bearing 30 is slidable with respect to j the supporting frame22 and has a cover plate 3I secured thereto as by screws 32 (see Figure4) so that the bearing is guided on the guide ribs 23. The movablebearing 30 is provided with bearing sleeves 33 in which a. pivot bolt 34is oscillatably mounted and supports a lower arm 35. A roller shaft 6 issupported thereby and rotatable on this shaft also isa tucking rollerwhich I will refer to as the lower tucking roller 31.

I provide means for limiting the upward pivoting of the upper arm 21 anddownwardly pivoting of the lower arm 35 in the form of stop. lugs 38 and39 formed on the arms as shown in Figure 1 and engaging adjustable. stopscrews 40 and 4| respectively. Lock nuts 42. and 43 respectively areprovided for retaining the adjustment and the screws 40 and 4i arethreaded in bosses 42a and 43a. of the supporting frame 22 and thebearing 3G. Gravity biases the arm 35 downwardly to be limited by thestop screw 4l, the weight of both the arm 35 and the lower roller 31accomplishing this result; whereas to counteract gravity and bias theupper arm 21 upwardly, I provide a coil spring 44 having arms 45 and 46.The arm 45 is engaged in a hole 48 of the arm 21; whereas the arm 46 ofthe spring has a hook 41 hooking around the stop screw 40. The coil ofthe spring is wound around a stud 49 extending from the boss 42a.

'Ihe two supports 22 on each supporting bar I8 and I9 arev adjustabletoward each other for a shorter package or away from each other for alonger package. This is accomplished by providing a supporting plate 50secured to the frame 22 and threaded to receive a clamp stud 5I as shownin Figure 1 which extends through a flanged bushing 52 located in a slot53 of the bar I8 or I9 as the case may be. The clamp studs 5I may beloosened and the tucki-ng elements adjusted as required for the size ofpackage being wrapped, a pointer 54 on the` supporting plate 50cooperating with a scale 55 on the supporting bar as shown in Figure 2to readily indicate the size.

The tucking mechanism is also adjustable for the thickness of thepackage by rais-ing the lower tucking roller 31 for a thinner package orlowering i-t for a thicker package. I provide a conveniently operablemeans to accomplish this adjustment consisting of a threaded rod 56having a head 51 and a reduced end 58 as shown in Figure 6. The head andthe reduced endl are rotatable in holes 59 and 60 in the upper and lowercross members of the support 22 and the rody is held against axialmovement4 by a dowel pin 6ll cooperating with a groove 62 inthe head 51and located in a hole (i3y in the lower cross memberA of the support 22as shown in Figures 5 and 6.. The intermediate threaded portion of therod 56 is located. ina tapped opening 64 of' the bearing 30. The head 51is provided with a socketA 65 so that a suitable wrench or crank may beassociated therewith for rotatingthe threaded. rod 56', thus raising orlowering the bearing 3B and with it the lower arm 35 and the lowertucking roller 31 as required.

To indicate the adjustment just referred to, the boss 43a is providedwith a pointer 66 as shown in` Figure 1 to cooperate with a scaleV 1 onthe support 22.

Practical operation After the adjustments are made at theY studs 5| forthe-length of the article being wrapped' and at the threaded rods 5S forthe thickness of the article, the parts of thetucking mechanism may besubstantially in the position of Figure l 4 previous to a tuckingoperation. The tucker units are adapted to be moved toward each otherfor bending in the end flaps |1a as shown in Figure 7 and by dottedlines in Figure 1. During this operation the large ends of the rollersiron out the wrinkles in the wrapper and crease the wrapper closelyadjacent the ends of the article I6, and the ends of the top and bottomaps [1b and |10 are rolled in above the upper roller and below the lowerroller as indicated at l1d in Figure 7 and by dotted lines in Figure 1.Finally, the rollers reach the position shown by dot-and-dash lines.inFigure 1 which is the same position illustrated: in Figure 2 with theend flaps 11a entirely tucked in and leaving only the upper and lowerflaps |1b and l1c to be folded against the ends of the package and gluedin position at a subsequent station in the packaging machine.

In the Doepel and Wiley application, flat tucking blades were used forthis operation but I have found that rollers operate muchbettenminimizing the tendency to tear the wrapper. and doing a betterjob of ironing down the flaps l1a. This is particularly true inconnection when. relatively thick packages` are being wrapped byA themachine.

The pivotal mounting of the arms 21 and 35, together with the springyand gravity biasing of the arms to their maximum spread as` shown inFigure 1 provide. for some movement. of. the rollers toward each otherto clear the rolling edges 11d of the end ilaps 11a during the tuckingin operation, and in the final position. of Figure 2 spreads them totheir maximum posi:- tion for smoothly ironing out any wrinkles,particularly adjacent the ends of the article lll, by close engagementof the large ends of the tapered rollers therewith as shown in FigureThe. lower roller presses the lower flaps Vic tightly against thesupporting surface l5; whereas' the upper roller performs a similarpressing operation against the top plate G8' andv the result is asmoothly tucked-in wrapper ready or the upward and downward bending ofthe lower and upper flap llc and l1cl.

My improved wrapper tucking mechanism increases the eiciency of themachine and also of the operator inasmuch as it shortensY the timevrequired for adjusting the machine dueto the.

use of the rod 53 in conjunction with the pointer' 66 and scale 6:1instead of using clamp screws for this purpose as shown in the Doepeland Wiley' application. The tucking action. is considerably improved dueto the use of tucking elements which are pivotally mounted and biasedvto a.

maximum spread, and the use of rollers in connection with the tuckingelements also provides for smoother operation during the tucking of thewrapper ends against the ends of the article being wrapped.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my wrapper tucking mechanism without departing from the realspirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention tocover by myclaims any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalentswhich may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. Tucking mechanism for one of the end flaps of a rectangular tubularwrapper comprising. aA

support, a pair of tucking elements, one for one side of said endflapand mounted stationary on said support, and the other for the other sideof said end flap and mounted for movement on said support toward saidrst tucking element for small diameter packages and away from said firsttucking element for larger diameter packages, the direction of suchmovement being substantially parallel to said diameter, said tuckingelements being also movable together toward the axis of an article beingwrapped in the wrapper for tucking said end iiap, said other tuckingelement and said support having cooperating scale and pointer means toindicate the diameter of the package, means for eiiecting said rstmentioned movement of said other tucking element relative to saidsupport comprising a rod threaded in said other tucking element androtatable relative to said support, and means constraining said rodagainst axial movement relative to said support.

2. Tucking mechanism for one of the end flaps of a rectangular tubularwrapper comprising a support, a pair of tucking elements, one for oneside of said end ap and mounted stationary on said support, and theother for the other side of said end flap and mounted for 'movement onsaid support toward said rst tucking element for small diameter packagesand away from said first tucking element for larger diameter packages,the direction of such movement being substantially parallel to saiddiameter, said tucking elements being also movable together toward theaxis of an article being Wrapped in the wrapper for tucking said endflap, said tucking elements including an upper pivoted arm, a rollercarried thereby, a lower pivoted arm, a roller carried thereby, platesin opposition to said rollers and cooperating therewith to roll creasesinto the top and bottom edges of said end flap, means limiting thepivotal movement of said arms to a maximum spread between said rollerswith the rollers pressing said flap edges against said plates, andspring means biasing said upper arm upwardly toward its limit means,said lower arm being biased downwardly by gravity toward its limitmeans.

3. Tucking mechanism for one of the end flaps of a rectangular tubularwrapper comprising a support, a pair of tucking elements, one for oneside of said end nap and mounted stationary on said support, and theother for the other side of said end iiap and mounted for movement onsaid support toward said first tucking element for small diameterpackages and away from said first tucking element for larger Vdiameterpackages, the direction of such movement being substantially parallel tosaid diameter, said tucking elements being also movable together towardthe axis of an article being wrapped in the wrapper for tucking said endflap, said tucking elements including an upper pivoted arm, a taperedroller carried thereby, a lower pivoted arm, a tapered roller carriedthereby, means limiting the pivotal movement of said arms to a maximumspread between said rollers, and means biasing said arms toward theirlimit means, said tapered rollers having their larger ends directedtoward the package being wrapped.

4. Tucking mechanism for one of the end iiaps of a rectangular tubularwrapper comprising a support, a pair of tucking elements, one for oneside of said end iiap and mounted stationary on said support, and theother for the other side of said end flap and mounted for movement onsaid support toward said first tucking element for small diameterpackages and away from said first tucking element for larger diameterpackages, the direction of such movement being substantially parallel tosaid diameter, said tucking elements being also movable together t0-ward the axis of an article being wrapped in the wrapper for tuckingsaid end flap, said tucking elements including a pair of larms pivotedto said support, means limiting the pivotal movement of said arms to amaximum spread, and means for biasing said arms toward their limitmeans.

5. In a wrapper tucking mechanism, a support, a stationary bearingthereon, a second bearing movable relative to said support, upper andlower` arms for said bearings, a pivot bolt oscillatably mounted in eachbearing and carrying its respective arm, a roller shaft carried by eacharm, a tucking roller rotatable on each roller shaft, said movablebearing and said support having cooperating scale and pointer means toindicate the size of the package, means for moving said second bearingrelative to said support for adjusting purposes comprising a rodthreaded therein and rotatable and non-slidable relative to support,means limiting the pivotal movement of said arms to a maximum spreadbetween said rollers, spring means biasing said upper arm upwardlytoward its limit means, said lower arm being biased downwardly bygravity toward its limit means.

6. In a wrapper tucking mechanism, a support, a stationary bearingthereon, a second bearing movable relative to said support, an arm foreach bearing, a pivot bolt oscillatably mounted in each bearing andcarrying its respective arm, a roller shaft carried by each arm, atucking roller rotatable on each roller shaft, means for moving saidsecond bearing relative to said support and thereby adjusting the spreadof 0pposite surfaces of said rollers comprising a, rod threaded thereinand rotatable relative to said support, means constraining said rodagainst axial movement relative to said support, means limiting thepivotal movement of said arms to a maximum spread between said surfaces,and means biasing said arms toward their limit means, said rollers beingtapered and having their smaller ends next to said carrying arms.

ROBERT E. TAGGART.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,118,468 Bradwell Nov. 24, 1914 1,180,984 Day Apr. 25, 19162,146,997 Smith Feb. 14, 1939 2,292,487 vStevens Aug. 11, 1942

